EY’s Net Zero Centre report “Risk and resilience: Rethinking Australia’s critical materials advantage in a disorderly world” urges Australia to move beyond being a raw ore exporter and secure a larger share of midstream processing for lithium, rare earths and other critical materials. The report flags geopolitical tensions and highly concentrated processing capacity – particularly in China – as key supply risks, and calls for targeted policy, finance and permitting reforms. For miners and processors, it signals stronger scrutiny of offtake security, downstream integration and project resilience in investment decisions.

Lawyers Geradin Partners and Hausfeld have filed a collective action at the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal against major housebuilders on behalf of campaigner Mark McLaren and around 700,000 homebuyers who purchased since October 2015. The claim alleges coordinated behaviour in the new-build housing market, potentially affecting pricing and contract terms for large volumes of post-2015 stock. Developers, consultants and lenders involved in residential schemes may face closer scrutiny of sales practices, reservation agreements and information disclosure on build quality and defects.

Road and energy capital projects will be mothballed to help fund the prime minister’s £15bn Defence Investment Plan (DIP) announced on 30 June, signalling a reallocation of public spending away from transport and energy infrastructure. Schemes in early design or pre-construction are the most likely to be paused, with contractors facing potential demobilisation costs, supply-chain disruption and reprogramming of frameworks. Civil and geotechnical teams should prepare for delayed procurements, rebased pipelines and possible rebidding as departments revise multi-year capital budgets.